Stop whistle

[Spudlet]

I have just tried to make a start on teaching this, I do hope we were doing it right

I didn't realise when I was training Henry to come back to the whistle that generally you use several short pips for a recall and a blast to stop, so I have got him coming back to a blast (well, horsepoo notwithstanding anyway

)

So now I am trying to get him to stop to two short pips. I have started by giving him a had signal to sit, pipping the whistle twice (how my nieghbours must love me this evening), then clicking and treating when he sits (which is instant, because he sees the clicker and knows it is training and treat time

).

I was planning to do this for a few weeks until the whistle pips are really well set in there, then start building up a distance between us so that he does it at a distance. Does that sound like the way to go about it?

I only got a really cheapo clix basic whistle to start off, which is quite hard to do pips on when your hands are full of clickers and sweeties

Do you think it would confuse him terribly to upgrade to a slighlty posher one or shall I persevere with the one I've got?

Ta! x

 

[mattilda]

Maybe get a better whistle if you want to and then reestablish the recall with it first so he knows the new pitch and then continue with yourstop training.
Personally I use the bellow method to recall my dogs!! Seems to work well enough.

 

[Spudlet]

The bellow method has been known to come out too, but he is getting fairly good with a whistle, as long as there is not horsepoo steaming away in front of him. Although that said I was very impressed that he turned and came back from a whole muckheap at lunchtime

OK, in fairness he then turned around and charged back to it and went deaf

But hey, baby steps, and he soon came charging after me when I turned and walked off without him so it could have been worse!

I think I have a posh whistle somewhere, we'll have to give it a go

 

[kirstyhen]

Otto has learnt 3 whistles,

Recall - 3 short pips. This means come back and stay with me until told otherwise. I only blow this when I am stood still.

Turn - 2 short pips. This means come back to me but turn in front of me and head away again. I can blow this stationery or on the move. If I want recall whislt I'm moving I blow this and then give the heel command as he gets near.

Stop/Sit Whistle - 1 blast. This means stop and look at me. Again I can blow this when I am stationery or on the move (but it rarely works!!

)
He also knows to sit to a raised hand.

Before he started learning the stop whistle outside he already had the other two whistle commands fairly in place. We did as you did and blew the stop whistle inside as he sat (literally as his backside hit the deck, Otto needs things made crystal clear for him!).

Once he was sitting to the whistle without a vocal prompt, we progress to walking at heel (on or off the lead) and stopping, everytime we stopped the stop whistle was blown and we didn't move off again until he sat.
Then once he was sitting straight away, I had him off the lead and hunting then blew the recall whistle to get him coming towards me. Once he had come right back I would blow the stop whistle.

Then I started blowing the turn whistle and gradually increasing the distance he would have to stop. I use the turn whistle because Otto will look for any oppurtunity not to come back, so I wanted to keep it clear in his head that the recall whistle ALWAYS means come back, whereas the turn whistle is more of an Oi!

If you get to that point and find he is slowing as he returns but not stopping, you need to go back a bit and get him stopping closer.

We are now trying to get him to stop without having him head back towards us first. The key is to get his attention first and then blow the whistle, but it's easier said than done! He will do it occasionally, and hopefully once he has down that just blowing the whistle will be enough!

With Otto I found that the biggest reward was getting to run around again, so instead of a vocal or food reward, he was literally released as soon as his bum touched the ground. The time it had to stay on the ground was then built very gradually.

I think the turn whistle is so useful, it gives you a command to get your dog to check in without making them come all the way back, so you don't ruin the consitancy of your recall whistle.

I would also say that the reason for the blast being the stop whistle is because of it's impact, so you might actually be better trying to retrain him to another whistle. What do you use at the moment?

Good god I've written an essay, and most of it is probably complete and utter tosh!

 

[Spudlet]

That is an essay

At the moment I have literally the cheapest whistle that there was in the shop

I have also got a slightly more expensive one, bought as a replacement when I mislaid the cheapy one - this one has a bit on the end that you can screw up looser or tighter to change the tone

I was very excited to discover this last night, although my neighbours may have been less so

We used that one this morning and his recall for one pip was brilliant, he's anyone's for a bit of hotdog! However I'm still not keen on this whistle as it's quite heavy to keep in your mouth for longer than a few seconds, and I need both hands free, (one to carry the lead and one to brandish bits of food about) so I might still get another, then I can start on training him to come back to two pips as what you say about the blast makes sense (poor little so and so will be very confused for a while!).

Any recommendations? Are the shepherd-type ones hard to use?

 

[kirstyhen]

I use an Acme 210.5 whistle
http://www.blackgundog.com/products.asp?subCatUrl=whistles-lanyards

I use it because that's what my Parents use, so I just copied them

Although I think it is supposed to be the best pitch for Spaniels, although I would have said the best pitch for Spaniels is VERY LOUD, as the little sods will pretend they can't hear you whatever bleedin' pitch you use

If you are just pipping him to return rather than a long whistle then, then you should be able to either keep it as one pip for recall and use the long blast as the stop, or add in another couple of pips for recall quite easily.

Just don't do what my Mum did, crouch down blowing the whistle for recall with arms wide open and have the dog come bounding back, jump up, hit the whistle and chip a tooth!!

Or as I do frequently, run backwards blowing the recall whistle, stumble and just about inhale the ruddy thing

 

[Spudlet]

They do it in PINK!!!!!

Hopalongandhen is happy

 

[kirstyhen]

I know! I was going to link straight to the black on I have, but thought you might like the pink one

You could get a matching pink lanyard too

 

[Spudlet]

How well you know me

It will be very exciting to have any lanyard that wasn't nicked from an obscure European institution, which makes me look like some kind of Europhile

 

[CorvusCorax]

Hoppy

just a question, what collar are you using/what are you going to be clipping your line to?

I was thinking it might be better to introduce an entirely new collar, either something big and broad or even a half check - so that this is an entirely new experience for him, not 'oh gawd, there goes mum trying to stop my fun again'.
Dogs can often react differently to different things, ie B will know 'right, this collar is on, this means tracking, nose down, right, this collar is on, that means heelwork, look up, oh, harness means beach or free running' etc.

If it is a different feeling or a different sensation he might be less likely to fall into old habits?

 

[Spudlet]

Well I was going to use his usual one, but that is a good point! I've got an old, very broad one that he hasn't worn for ages, I might use that.

 

[CorvusCorax]

That sounds perfect. Just a different kind of 'pressure' might make all the difference.
He may then come to associate that collar with a certain sort of behaviour.

 

[spaniel]

Ive just about got Ruby to stop whatever she is doing and return to me on two pips which Im using to back up my voice command at the moment.

I gave up with plastic whistles a long time ago and have a super bone one which I reckon must be about 20 years old now and is still going strong although I suspect its hygeine level is dubious by now!

Things are proving to be fairly easy so far as Ruby already has a trained collie to take her cue from....until they both decide its playtime and go deaf!